Occupational health and safety

 Health and Safety refers to Organized efforts and procedures for identifying workplace hazards and reducing accidents and exposure to harmful situations and substances. Organized efforts and procedures for identifying workplace hazards and reducing accidents and exposure to harmful situations and substances. Below are some of the Occupational Health and Safety roles that the HR department should play at their workplaces;

  • If it is perceived that the HR cannot handle OH&S roles, then a specialist in this area should be recruited; but this should not cushion the HR department from being responsible for employee health and safety.

  • Developing an OH&S policy and providing training on the same

  • Establishing an OH&S Statutory Compliance register to help monitor and evaluate the compliance of the organization to Occupational Health and Safety Statutory/Regulatory requirements. e.g., OSHA, WIBA, etc.

  • Constituting an Occupational Health and Safety Committee, including fire marshals and first aides as per the Statutory/Regulatory requirements.

  • Identifying OH&S hazards and conducting a risk assessment as well as developing an OH&S action plan.

  • Developing an OH&S training program including fire drills, refresher courses etc.

  • Providing the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to employees. (A PPE assessment would really help you to know what PPE to use where)

  • Providing adequate safety signs such fire exit, fire point, safety notices on use of PPEs and providing and servicing of adequate firefighting equipment.

  • Employee Medical Examination

  • Integrating OH&S in the visitor/contractor/employee induction process

  • Ensuring the maintenance team understand the value of lockout/tag out system and many more.

  • You can also spearhead the implementation of ISO 45001:2018 which is the current ISO standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management System that has replaced the BSI 18001:2007 - Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series.

These are just some of the elements that will define a sound, safe and healthy work place. Health & Safety should be the song at your workplace (Anangwe, 2018).



(Anangwe, 2018)


References

Anangwe, M. R., 2018. The Role of HR in Workplace Health and Safety. [Online]
Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/role-hr-workplace-health-safety-martin-rodgers-anangwe

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